Trolley-replacer.



R E P. 0 0 mm mm n 1. mm TL m UR AT M W APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1907.RENEWED SEPT. 8, 1908.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jmwbofier WaZZerMAwfah lxhhwo 4 W. M. AUSTIN & S. G. COOPER.

TROLLEY REPLAGEB. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 3, 1908.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I f @I d 5 vweu l'ouf/ UNTTED STATES PATENT GFFTCE.

WALTERM. AUSTIN, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, AN]? SAMUEL C. COOPER, OFJ'OHNSTOWN NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0FONE-THIRD T0 SAID COQPER, ONE-THIRD '10 PHILIP KECK, AND ONE-THIRD TOSIDNEY E. TRUMBULL, 0F JQHN 'STOWN,

NEW YORK.

TROLLEY-REPLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

Application filed May 3, 1907, Serial No. 371,717. Renewed September 3,1908. Serial No. 451,572.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Wnurnu M. AUSTIN and Saucer. U. Coornn, citizens ofthe United States, residing, respectively, at Swissvale and Johnstown,in the counties of Allegheny and Fulton and States of Pennsylvania andNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements inTrolley-Replacers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in trolley replacers of the typewherein the replacing element is automaticallyprojected into operativeposition by the trolley wire immediately succeeding its escape from thetrolley wheel.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of means forautomatically returning the trolley replacer to normal po sition afterits effective service in guiding the wire back to the trolley wheel,whereby the replacer is returned to normal position immediatelysucceeding its operative function and the probability of interference bysaid replacer with switch or cross wires is avoided.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in longitudinal section, partly in elevationillustrating a trolley pole provided with our improvements, Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical section through the harp and connecting parts, Fig. 3is a front elevation of the same, Fig. 1 is a vertical centralsection,.partly in elevation through the restoring valve mechanism, F1g. 5 1s a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 41, Fig. 6 1s a transversesection on line 6-6 of Fig. 4:,

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the connecting link oining theoperating rod and trolley replacer.

Our invention relates specifically to means for automaticallyresettingor restoring the trolley replacer after its automatic projection by theoperation of the trolley wire, and for the purpose of illustrating theinvention more completely we have shown an accepted type of automaticprojecting mechanism,

primarily adapted foruse with ourresetting mechanism. It is to beunderstood, however, that the present invention is directed broadly tothe resetting mechanism and that we contemplate the use of any desiredform of projecting mechanism. For the purposes of the present invention,however, the trolley replacer projecting mechanism may be described asincluding a trolley pole l, preferably of hollow construction andpivotally support-ed upon a turn-table 2 mounted on a base 3 secured tothe car top, the usual spring supports 1 being arranged to maintain thetrolley pole under pressure in use. The upper end of the pole proper isengaged by a sleeve 5 depending from the harp 6, the arms 7 of whichharp are arranged in spaced par allel relation, as is usual. A shaft 8is supported in the harp arms on which is revolubly mounted a trolleywheel 9, said wheel being of any desired type and preferably formed witha circumferentially arranged wire receiving-groove 10.

The replacer comprises independent members mountedon opposite sides ofthe trolley wheel, each of said members including a bar 11 terminallyconnected at one end to a sleeve member 12 formed to receive the shaft 8and to itself fit within a bearing opening formed in the harp arm. Fromthe sleeve a second arm 13 projects at an angle to the arm 11, the upperend of the arm 13 being provided with a laterally projecting upwardlyinclined lip 14 of comparatively broad surface. The lip, or moreproperly the upper surface thereof, extends slightly beyond therelatively inner surface of the arm 13, as at 15, the projecting portion15 being designed to overlie the proximate edge of the trolley wheelgroove with the efiect to direct the wire engaging either of the lips 14with certainty into the groove. The relatively lower ends of the arms 11are formed with inwardly projecting studs 16 designed to engage anelongated opening 17 in the up per end of a link 18, the lower end ofwhich is pivotally connected to a coupling 19 with the upper end of anoperating rod 20. The rod 20 extends longitudinally of the trolley poleto a point immediately adjacent the lower end thereof, being provided ata point above the lower end with an adjustable collar 21, and beingguided in movement at the lower end through a guide block 22 fixed inthe trolley pole. An operating spring 23 is coiled about the rod 20,bearing at its respective ends against the collar 21 and block 22. Thelink 18 is provided adjacent its connection with the operating rod witha laterally projecting stud 24, designed to reciprocatein themovementsof' the link in a guideway 25 formed in the wall of the harpsleeve 5.

A trip is provided for automatically releasing the replacer to theinfluence of the spring 23 upon engagement of the trolley Wire with thetrip. This trip, as best seen in F ig, 3, comprises a trip bar 26pivotally supported between ears 27 formed on the harp sleeve 5, saidbar above its pivotal connection bGiIIg-fOlHlBClWV'ith an inwardlyprojecting trip finger 2 8. Immediately above the finger the trip isbranched to provide spacedarms 29 disposed beyond and on op positesidesof the trolley wheel, said arms terminating in their relativelyupper pottions in plates 30 curving concentrically with the curvature ofthe trolley Wheel and formed ontheir respective side edges withprojecting flanges 31 extending at a right angle te-the'plane' of theplate 30. Each of the trip plates is thus of approximately U= formin-tra-nsverse section, beingnormally soarranged as to dispose the freeedges of the flanges 31 in a planewith the edges-of the trolley wheel,sothat a wire jumping from' the wheel will with certainty be engaged byeith'er'one or the other of the't'rip plates. Below the pivot thetrip-bar 26 is formed with a" projection 32 to engage the surface oftheharp slee've'5, and above'the pivot acoilsp'ring 33-is arranged' betweenthe trip ba-r' and surface of the harp sleeve,

Withthe efie'ct to normally maintain the trip} in one' certain positionrelativeto the trolley wheel.

The operation of the projecting mechanism may be briefly described asfollows: lVi-th thelips 14 of the replaeers arranged belowthe plane ofthe-relatively upper portion of thetrolley wheel, as shown infull linesin Fig; 1, the a rmail o f said replacers andthe linl-1 8 are alinedwith the opera-t ingrod 20, thereby maintainii'ig these parts inthisposition the tensiono'f the spring-23, the normal p'ositi' on" ofthe parts the trip finger 28' rests against thelink 18- atitspoint ofconnection with-the stud' 1'6 ofthe' repla'eers, so that upon escapeoflthe trolley wire from the groove 1 0" it will engage one of thetripplat'es 30; causing the trip} finger to move inward, breaking thejoint between the linlr- 1 8-and the arms 11 ofthereplacer, to-rel'easethe replacer 'mem bers through theinflu'ence' of the spring 23'. Thespring thereupon automatically acts to" project the rod-u .wardwit-h the'efl ect to move the lips 140 the replacers-onopposite sidesof thetrolley wire and redirec't said wire and trolley wheel grooves into maperative relation, 1 y In connectionv witlr the above descrlloedproject-or we provide" means fenret'urningand ail ect the cam.

and thereby resetting the trolley replacer.

The means described comprises a valve cas-' ing 34 securely bolted orotherwise secured to the trolley pole below the relatively lower end ofthe operating rod. lVithin the casing is formed a chamber 35 in which ismounted a piston 36, the stem 37 of which projects through the upper endof the casing and bears beneath one end of a resetting lever 38, theopposite end of which extends through a slot in the trolley pole, as at39,

communicates with a channel-45 extending transversely of the offset-42"and communicating with vertically extending port 46 arranged in rearof the valve chamber'43. The lower end of the port 46 communicates witha transversely extendin port 47 opening directly into the chamber belowthe piston- 36. In the wall of the offset 42 is 9 arranged a minuteescape port 48',- v which 18 in open'comunic'ation'with the port 46. A

valve 49 is arrange'd'in th'e'cham'ber 43 forcoi jperation with thevalve seat 45, said valve being spring pressed in a direction to closethe seat and having its stem 50 connected to thelow'erend of acontrolling rod 51 slida bly HIOHIltQCl'lIl the ofls'ets 42 and 41, theup er end of the rod being rounded for cooperation with a cam 52secured-upon the ivot pin of-thelever 38. The cam islo'osely mounted uponthe pivot pin andis formed with an arcuate slot 53 toreceive a pin54' projecting from an extensionof the lever, sot-hat said lever will,at determinate points in itsmovement in either direction, engage Therelatively lower edge of the cam-52 is formedvr'ith t wo' distinct camrecesses 55 and- 56', the former-be ing on relatively lower-plane thanthe latter longitudinally ofthe cam, and being respectively so disposedthat when the cam recess 55 engages the upper end-*of the rod 51 thevalve 49" will be heldtfrom engagement with its seat, while when the camsurface 56 isarranged toenga'ge the rod 51, the valve- 49is permittedtoengage the seat 46'and thereby" close the valve chamber 43 against theport-44i The offset 42 is'-for1'ned with anipple 57-designedtorece'i've' a flexible hose connectionleading from the air brakecylinder 'on' the car, the admittance of the air" to the valve chamber43 being manually con trolled=byany desired form of valve, not shown.

In operation of the resetting mechanism, and assuming the projectingmechanism as in operative position, the motorman or conductor will aomitair to the valve forming the present invention. in the operativeposition of the rod 20, it will be noted that the stern engaging end ofthe lever 38 is depressed, so that the piston is at the lowest plane ofmovement. is the cam has been operated by the lever in this movement todispose the cam recess to engage the upper end of the rod 5i, it will benoted that the valve 41) is held ott' its SQ/ztt The air admitted fromthe cylinder will then find its way directly to the chamber and elevatethe piston, with the etlect to draw down the operating rod 20 and resetthe replacing members. This movement of the lever 38 also moves the camto dispose the cam surface 56 immediately above the rod 51, whereuponthe spring acts to close the valve d9, thus automatically cutting otithe pressure sup ply to the chamber 35. The excess pressure within saidchamber and the ports communicating therewith will equalize with theatmospheric pressure through the vent 4:8, thereby permitting thereverse operation of the piston 36 in the next automatic operation ofthe rod 20 to set the replacer.

From the above description it will be noted that the motorman orconductor may automatically reset the replacer immediately succeedingits projection, the use of the mechanism described for this purposeresulting in such speedy and ettective resetting as to avoid anypossibility of the resetting arms engaging the switch or cross wires ofthe trolley connections.

It is, of course, obvious that the valve for controlling the admissionof pressure to the valve chamber d3 may be automatically controlled bythe initial upwaro movement of the rod 20, so that said rod will, in itsupward movement open the valve and admit pressure to the valve whichwill tend to reset the rod. The entire operation may thus beautomatically eitt'ected, if desired, by a well understood arrangementof the valve.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new, is

l. A trolley replacer, spring operated means for projecting the replacerinto operative position, and means operative independent of the trolleywheel for automatically resetting the replacer.

2. A trolley replacer, means for automatically projecting the replacerinto operative position, and fluid pressure means for resetting thereplacer.

3. A trolley replacer, means for projecting the replacer into operativeposition, means for resetting the replacer and a mechanically controlledvalve for admitting pressure to operate the resetting means.

a. A trolley replacer, and pressure controlled means for moving saidreplacer in the resetting direction, and means for relieving saidpressure controlled means from the operating pressure.

5. A trolley replacer, a pressure controlled member operating to movethe replacer in the resetting direction, and a valve to automaticallyrelieve the member from the operating pressure after operative actuationoi said member.

(3. A trolley replacer, a rod connected therewith, spring means foroperating the rod in one direction, and ttuid pressure controlled meansfor operating the rod, in the opposite direction.

7. A trolley replacer, a rod connected therewith, aspring for operatingthe rod in one direction, and a member controlled by fluid pressure tooperate the rod in the opposite direction.

8. A trolley replacer, a rod connected therewith, a spring for operatingthe rod in one direction, a. lever connected with the rod, a pistonarranged to be actuated by fluid pressure for operating the lever tomove the rod in the opposite direction, and means controlled by thelever for relieving the piston of the operating pressure in one positionof the lever.

9. A. trolley replacer, a rod connected therewith, a spring foroperating the rod in one direction, a lever connected with the rod, apiston arranged to be actuated by fluid pressure for operating the leverto move the rod in the opposite direction, and a valve controlled by thelever for relieving the piston of the operating pressure in one positionof the lever.

10. A trolley replacer, a rod connected therewith, a spring foroperating the rod in one direction, a lever connected with the rod, apiston arranged to be actuated by fluid pressure for operating the leverto move the rod in the opposite direction, a valve for relieving thepiston of the operating pressure, and means carried by the lever forcontrolling the position of the valve.

11. A trolley replacer, a rod connected therewith, a spring foroperating the rod in one direction, a lever connected with the rod, apiston arranged to be actuated by fluid pressure for operating the leverto move the rod in the opposite direction, a valve for relieving thepiston of the operating pressure, and a cam carried by the lever forcontrolling the position of the valve.

12. A trolley replacer, means for normally tensioningsaid replacer foroperation, and fluid pressure means for operating the replacer againstthe influence ot its normal tensioning means.

13. A trolley replacer, means for normally tensioning said replacer torprojection to op erative position, and means automatically operative byfluid pressure for forcing the replacer into normal position after itspro jection.

14s. A trolley replacer, means for normally tensioning saicl replacerfor operation in one direction, and fluid pressure means forautomatically actuating the replacer in the opposite direction.

15. A trolley replacer, a spring for automatically projecting thereplacer into operative position, and fluid pressure means for movingthe replacer in the opposite (lireotion against the tension of thespring 16. A trolley replacer, a spring for automatically projecting thercplacer into operative position, finicl pressure means for moving thereplacer in the opposite direction against the tension of the spring,and means to automatically control the fluid pressure means in themovement of the replacer.

In testimony whereof, We aifix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

VALTER M. AUSTIN. SAMUEL O. COOPER.

\Vitnesses JAMES V. Srmrmsn, \VILLIAM K. aiwan.

